Demiurge
by B-ThreeOneTwo
Summary: Your imagination is powerful. Every time you imagine anything, you create it elsewhere. Everything you imagine exists solely for you. So when aspiring Medicinae Doctor David Schaden dies horribly, he is grabbed from existence and shoved into another that he had imagined at one point in time. He is presented with a single purpose for existing there: to help everyone, no matter what.
1. Chapter 1

A green plateau was what greeted an individual, one who could not look at it with awe, but rather boredom and contempt. The grass was too vibrant for the being, too full. It made the act of retching upon it seem proper. Of course, that was not possible. They were born without the ability to do so. The being sighed, a more human action than most who share the space with him try not to imitate. They thought it lowly and disgusting, to take on such social behaviors of mere mortals. However, the being understood that a sigh every now and again could do everyone some good, and that understanding was from experience.

The dark cloud once more let out a sigh without purpose, simply doing so for the sake of spitting on the others. The angels looked down on the being, even though the being had existed for longer than they have. It detested them greatly. Only because of the job it needed to fulfill did it even stay up here. A small thought bubbled up within it, memories from their experience on the mortal plane, or Earth, as they called it. The development of things called 'video games' had grabbed the attention of the being, and it had stayed excessively long down there to indulge in such activity. It was probably the only entertaining thing down there now. Everything else was boring. The yearning for the ability to play these games was slowly growing. It even had a favorite game, which a favorite anything was generally unheard of for ethereal beings, especially if it is a mortal subject or item.

Boredom was something dreaded by the being. The longest that it had gone without doing anything besides its job – never mind, the thought was too tantalizing to think about. A small feeling pricked the back of its mind before the surroundings suddenly changed. Instead of the endless, green life of the plateau, an old, decrepit house surrounded the dark cloud. It grumbled slightly as it began to move slightly. The movement gradually grew more deliberate and accented, as speed increased, only for it to finally shape into what was a human being.

The first thing it decided to do was smell. Taking a breath through the nostrils, the being hunched over immediately and began coughing heavily. It blinked its eyes and squinted as tears threatened to spill over the edges of its new eyelids. It could only barely make out the inside of the house through its tears. There were no lights on. It was dark. Not a problem for it, but when it took a step forward there was a crunch like glass underfoot. Looking down, it again sighed.

"A drinker…" the callous male voice stated before perking up at the sound of the voice, "Oh, that's a satisfying voice."

The being cleared its throat before singing down a musical scale. It was always entertaining when he visited the mortal plane. Deciding he was satisfied, he began to look around more. The housing was not in the best condition. Empty bottles of alcohol were littered all over in stacks or piles. An ashtray was overflowing with cigarette butts that smelt fresh, and a slight haze was coating the air within the house. The figure looked around the room, its eyes stopping on a wall. The pale blue light shone through it but it was not illuminating anything. No light leaked off this one.

"This soul is dreadfully trashed. I wonder how he died." It spoke with a slight tilt of his head before he navigated slowly through the room. It was akin to a maze, beer bottles and garbage paving a plethora of waves through the house. Finding the right path that led to the hallway towards the back of the house was not troublesome, but neither was it easy. A few moments later and a sigh of relief, the now-man walked away from the stench that was present in that room.

The floor changed from carpet to wood when he stepped into the hallway. This segment of the building went down about three feet, opening up to two rooms on the left and right sides. The blue light was dull and flickering slightly, causing him to click his tongue.

"Either way, you are not going anywhere good," He stated as he approached silently through the right door, "You were someone who left this world with nothing, and as such shall be returned to that."

He finished what he was saying as he stood silently, looking on the disheveled bedroom with a simple frown that betrayed nothing. It was not saddening in that someone had passed, but rather the sadness lay in how unkempt the corpse that lay upon the ragged bed was. Death was a beautiful thing, but people like this soiled it much like themselves. The dull blue apparition flickered only slightly as it stayed put above the body.

He sighed, "You cannot go back. You should have made better decisions so that it did not come to this."

A more violent, yet still small, flicker was the response.

"No, you will not be in any more pain. At least," He smirked slightly, "Not here."

Silence from the blue light was all that met, and with that, the man walked forward. He stood above the corpse and bore his gaze into the orb of blue light, only to bring up his right hand. Grabbing the apparition, he snorted at the resistance that it attempted. It did not want to leave, but that was against the cycle. It needed to go.

"So, based on you yourself, I am going to decide whether or not you deserve either Paradise," he stared on at it in recess, "Or punishment."

That was when he clamped his eyes shut and tightened his grip on the apparition. The blue light squirmed as it felt its essence being probed and looked through. The exposure was not painful nor comfortable and was far from an afterlife. The man watched the past of this one soul with the decision of its destination in tow.

After a second longer, he opened his eyes and glared upon the slightly flickering dull blue light. His eyes narrowed as a final decision finalized.

"You have known pain and suffering of great amounts, yet have inflicted much the same. Usually, that would mean purgatory but," He paused as a small smile graced his face, "I'm sure the big guy can make a few exceptions every century or so."

The shaking of the apparition ceased for a moment before glowing a little brighter than before. The man smiled as he lowered the ball of light and tensed his right arm. A moment later, there was a might underhand toss straight up, the ball of light flying at unknown speeds through the roof and outside, disappearing into the day's blue sky.

He sighed. It was a slightly happy feeling that hit the being every time he did that. It was rather harsh to send souls to Hell like a game, but it was his job as Death. He was able to make this decision, as he was unbiased to those of the surface, at least to some extent. He was supposed to be impartial, but he could bend the rules a little bit every now and again.

Suddenly his face hardened as a small whisper breathed in the back of his mind. It caused him to sigh again as thick black clouds enveloped the person, replacing it. He needed to prepare for the next one because almost every voice conveyed that someone was going to die soon. This one said exactly that.

Death's job was yet to be over.

* * *

"So, when are you starting your new job?" A woman asked with a giggle. She was currently a passenger on a motorcycle, holding tight to the driver of the vehicle. The driver slowed down as he came up to an intersection and stopped. Taking the short amount of time, he flipped his visor up and looked back at her with piercing blue eyes.

"Next week on Monday. It's just a press work at a commercial printing company," He replied with a hint of joy, "it pays well though. We'll be able to get a house within the next year at most."

"That's great, David!" the woman exclaimed, quickly tossing her hands in the air as a smile graced her face. He smiled in return before flipping his visor back down to pay attention to the intersection. Just as he did so, the light turned green, and he accelerated without warning. The sudden shift caused his passenger to let out a yelp as they shot forward, her arms immediately wrapping around his torso.

David chuckled a little while keeping his eyes on the road. He felt so lucky to have Izabelle in his life. He could not imagine where he would be without her. When he was first coming into college, he was alone. No friends to speak of, not to mention his families lack of financial support towards his tuition. He was lucky to get a good scholarship and grants, as it helped him stay above water when it came to living expenses and supplies. He was still not doing well though. He was on the cusp of failing a majority of his classes, and his roommate left within the first month and a half of the year. He had been in a troublesome spot.

Then, his new roommate had arrived, and everything changed for the better.

Izabelle's arrival was more of a shock than anything was. David had expected to get the news before his new roommate – whenever it would happen – would arrive. However, that was not the case. Towards the end of the week, he had awoken to the noise of someone entering his room. It took him a few moments to realize that someone was in his room in the middle of the night. When he did, he panicked.

He had a large amount of practice breathing through his diaphragm. Despite the fact that he was a bit of an oddball in high school, he was on the National Honors Society and a part of a choir for a long time. The latter was important, as because of vocal warmups and practices, he was capable of yelling loud. That was exactly what he had done, and in doing so had scared his unknown roommate. The reply was instantaneous and a shrill scream that was deafening.

Either way, a friendship was born then. They got used to each other over time, and soon they grew into something more. He was just a few months away from getting his Doctorate in some area of the medical field – he could not think about it all now. He had to keep his attention on the road.

Turning onto an onramp towards the freeway, the sound of sirens caught his attention. They were getting closer, as one siren split into two. Whatever was happening, it was certainly big. David's vehicle balanced out as the onramp turned into the freeway. Traffic was light, which lent a large amount of space for him to move on the road. The sirens were getting louder.

David suddenly got a feeling that made his stomach flip, "Hey, babe?"

"Yeah?" she shouted over the noise of the motorcycle. David glanced back once or twice before saying anything.

"Take my helmet and put it on would you?"

Izabelle's grip tightened on his waist, "What, why?"

"I've got a feeling, and it's making me worried. Please, Izzy, put it on," David insisted from the front of the bike. She reluctantly grabbed the sides, gently pulling it up and off his head. Short straight black hair became free from the holdings of the helmet, as white skin soaked up the evening sunlight. Blue eyes narrowed as the wind hit his face, but he quickly adjusted to the difference in the atmosphere he perceived through his senses.

The sirens were even louder now. Cars ahead began pulling off to the shoulder to make way for the police. David did the same, maneuvering to the left shoulder of the road with a few other cars. He stepped off the motorcycle and looked down the way he had come for a moment to spot the police cars, wherever they were.

Suddenly, a series of cracks that emanated from the same direction, along with screeching tires. A horn went off in the distance and did not cease, holding the tone for what seemed like ages. A brown, beat up car became visible as it turned wildly onto the freeway. Sirens were blaring now as police vehicles came up the same way. The sound drowned out as a man sat out of the passenger window, a rifle in hand and a wicked look in his eye, and lowered the weapon.

The loud crack of bullets leaving the muzzle was enough of a signal.

"Down!" David yelled, turning towards Izzy who was getting behind the motorcycle. Turning back towards the scene, police were practically riding on his tail. Some pieces of concrete chipped and sprayed in all directions as the crazy bastard shot wildly. Some round came close to the motorcycle, making David's heart skip a beat each time. He was crouched behind the motorcycle with Izabelle now, but he did so in a way that made sure to protect her.

"He's about to pass us," He stated and looked at Izabelle, "It'll be done shortly."

"This is the scariest thing that's happened in my life so far," She attempted to lighten the mood. Despite the fact they were outside, he felt trapped. Sealed off from any help.

The brown vehicle was a few feet away, continuing to fire rapidly. Concrete began to crack and chips of it were flying in complete disorder. The police were still practically on his tail though, bumping the vehicle once or twice. Curiosity gained the better of David as he shuffled to the edge of the motorcycle. A police car attempted to spin the vehicle out but was unsuccessful in the attempt. A few more deafening cracks of the rifle broke through the sirens before a force hit his chest as if someone had punched and knocked the wind out of him.

Then, he couldn't breathe.

The vehicle sped by them as David staggered slightly. His ears stopped working for a minute as pain shot through his upper torso. He saw one of the many police cars stop by them, and proceed to exit their vehicle. Bringing his hand up to his chest as he stood and holding them over his chest, he was shocked when his hand came back slicked red with blood. Time slowed as he turned around to face his lover, his gaze meeting hers. The absolute horror and shock that she showed confirmed what he was thinking. Legs became weak as breathing failed him, and words could not form in his throat. Sounds began to come back muffled, and his vision blurred in and out of focus. He watched as Izabelle stood up as time resumed to its normal tempo, and caught him as he began to collapse to the ground.

"David!" Izabelle's cry of sorrow and horror echoed within the reaches of his dulling mind. Another body made their presence known, glancing at different spots on his body before grabbing the radio on their chest and calling something in.

Izabelle's lips moved, but no sound came out the world began to feel numb once again. All sound faded and his vision began to go black. He could not breathe nor move. The darkness was creeping in along his vision, and he let it. Despite the fact that he was afraid, he also found it soothing, peaceful even. Even as the love of his life hovered over his body, shaking him in an attempt to do the impossible, he began to let go. He felt his being rise up as blackness took hold of his vision, and all sound ceased.

Suddenly, David was there again. At the scene. Almost no time had passed, but he could see himself – no, his body. He watched as the officer performed CPR profusely on his body, while Izzy was screaming her pain out to the world.

What a fucking mistake.

"Yeah, it really is," a voice spoke behind him. For some reason, he did not turn around. He could see everything around him, so there was no purpose of turning anything. He was adrift in the afterlife. Either way, he was not exactly ready for what he saw.

His lover stood a few feet away from him, strutting up to him slowly. She was wearing exactly what she was wearing down there, next to his dead body. The black shorts and boots, with a white t-shirt and dark blue vest. Her black hair was the same way; a fun bob cut that had blonde edges. Her violet eyes shone even brighter than usual, and their gaze froze him as he was. He could not move as she approached him, holding a hand below his orb-like body.

"This is honestly a pitiful sight. The ignorance of others allowed an accident like this to happen. The odds of this happening at all were a million to one, considering how it happened. I am sorry for you," they stated, their voice tender and caring. It took a moment for it to sink in, but realization struck him nonetheless.

"You're not actually…her, are you?"

"Huh, you are a cut above the majority if you can figure that out," she chuckled slightly before her body began to morph, "I'll choose a form that makes you a bit more comfortable."

Shadows moved as time seemed to stand still. The personification of Izabelle began to distort awkwardly, growing taller and darker before finally fixating on a form. A skull as clean as new ceramic took the place of its head. A dark, smooth cloak covered the beings body and a hood floated down over its head. Its right skeletal hand held a long staff, and a curved blade stuck out like a thorn on a rose. Horror slowly left David's corporeal form and filled with a stilling calm. He knew what was happening. It was too obvious.

He had died.

The being placed its left hand on top of the orb, "Don't worry too much, this won't hurt. At least, not physically. Maybe the emotionally?"

Before a reply was possible though, David's vision suddenly shifted and began rushing through numerous scenes from his life. He shivered as a cold feeling began caressing his very being, all the while images kept flashing as if he was reliving them.

His first word – "Doctor."

His older brother pushing him around when he was five.

His parents divorcing and remarrying off and on.

Bullying.

His father drinking and slurring.

Video games.

His mother letting it all happen.

Almost flunking out of high school.

Getting into his dream college.

Izabelle…

Oh, Izabelle…

"Ah, I see. A victim. You have been that all your life, yet all you wanted to do was save people. It is why you delved into the medical field. Honestly, I'm impressed," the being commented, still holding on to David's form.

"Also, I saw you played some games too. Quite a few, in fact-" David cut off whatever it was saying, "You are strange."

The robed figure chuckled once more, "Sorry, forgive me. You see, being Death can sometimes be…boring. I've had to indulge myself in the past, and video games have more than trumped my list of favorite forms of entertainment."

There was a pause for a moment as the figure – now identified as Death itself – looked down quickly in thought. If anything, it was quite strange. Death was very calm, not frightening in the slightest. The presence was actually welcoming. All David could do was sit there floating, contemplating what Heaven or Hell would be like. Only, his time for thinking was cut short, as Death looked up, staring back at him with interest.

"Do you want to still help people?" the shadow inquired, inclining his head to the left a little.

David did not even have to think about this answer, "Yes!"

"Good, because you might be able to. Just…not here," Death turned solemn at that moment, "I cannot bring you back to life here. It isn't possible, plus the guy upstairs would be pretty angry."

David frowned, which translated to a sudden vibration through the orb. Death began to shake his head, "But, I can put you somewhere else where you might be able to help others. You see, I am actually incapable of taking care of all the death in the world. It seems silly, I know. However, it is true. Therefore, I sometimes have to ask the others for help."

"Others?" David inquired with confusion evident in his voice.

"Ah," Death began, "I was about to get there. You see, because every human being has a conscious paired with a powerful imagination, it means there are many things that are troublesome to explain. The gist of it is this: Everything you could imagine, everything you have created, is real. Whether you understand it or not, it does not matter. You read a book. Say, you imagine voices for characters, et cetera. That all becomes real. It becomes part of your – god, what's a good way to say it? – Multiverse Spectrum. Those characters look like how you imagined them, sound like it. It goes for everything. If you play a game and customize a character, you have now started a universe in the same spot as that character. Can you understand what I am trying to say?"

"No, not exactly?" David was only more confused. When had he had multiple universes to himself? That was simply ludicrous! It would put him in the bracket terms of a God, and it was just unfathomable. Where was this conversation going? Why couldn't he just move on already?

"It means that alternate versions of reality are created for each and every individual here dependent on how much they use their imagination. For example, you read the historical fiction book, Guns of the South, and then bam! You have now created an alternate universe just for imagining what the scenes look like, how the characters sound, all that stuff," Death rotated his wrist slightly in a gesture, "Do you kind of get it now?"

"I'm…still not quite reaching what you would call 'comprehension'," David replied with a little less confusion but was still puzzled. Death seemed to sigh if the gesture it made was any indication.

"Do. You. Want. To. Go. To. A. Different. Universe. And. Help. People." It stressed each word for each individual syllable that left the entity. If Death were in another form, then spit would most likely be flying out of his mouth.

It took a moment for David to come up with an answer, "Y-yes!"

"Great! That's what I wanted to hear!" Death's sockets grew wider, but David ignored it. The light started to swirl around him as he felt another presence grab at his form.

Death seemed to scratch the back of his head, looking down slightly, "So, I should probably mention this before you leave abruptly. I don't know where you're going, so you'll have to figure it out when you get there. Also, as far as I know, I can't check up on you all the time."

"Alright," David acknowledged with a shake of his form. He seemed to grow brighter, as his vision seemed to grow more unfocused. Death seemed to take notice and immediately began rushing.

"Oh, um, ah – gah, what else was there? – Oh, that's right, you might wake up with-" however before Death could finish, when a sudden flash of light illuminated David's vision. Confusion clouded his mind as he floated in darkness. Questions mulled over constantly in his head as he tried to discern what was going on. Could it be he was in shock? He could be alive and simply fallen unconscious and his subconscious tried to show a shock-induced hallucination. On the other hand, maybe it has been a dream all along. He could not keep his mind straight as he spiraled through the darkness, wailing a crescendo as the horrifying realization set in.

He had no idea.

* * *

Death sighed as it stared at the place the orb of David Schaden had been, "-Without a body. God, he was grabbed quickly!"

"Well, I best get back to whatever I usually do. I won't be able to watch him all the time or whatever they call it, but whoever pulled him will hopefully get him started," Death turned around as black smog seeped off his being. It looked down as it thought about the predicament he started.

Becoming very sincere, Death spoke in barely a whisper, "May the luck of the universe flood your life force and I hope you find happiness and peace in your new life."

Then, The Grim Reaper disappeared in a cloud, leaving the mortal plane to resume its work.

* * *

Darkness was the only thing there. David sat, stood, lay; simply existed in this darkness. He did not know where he was, when he was, nor how he was currently there. He simply floated in the blackness with no sound to make or receive. He simply was.

Suddenly, he felt a presence clasp around his form like a hand grabs a ball. It pulled at him, before finally yanking him out from the blackness. Color flared in his vision in streams and sounds boomed together in a colossal tidal wave. His senses flooded and he felt himself hit a surface shortly as a vibration sent throughout his body. There was the feeling of laying down, but he could not feel what he was laying on. It was as if his senses were gone. He couldn't see, hear, or feel anything.

David tried straining his ears or moving his body, but nothing was working. He couldn't scream or squirm. He felt helpless. Every moment, however long a moment was still, was horrifying. He never would have imagined that death would be like this. So much uncertainty, so much nothingness. He would never allow someone to feel this as long as he was able to save them.

A small whisper began to arise from the back of his mind, but he ignored it. Doing so seemed to make it angry, or aggravated, as it became louder over time. It was still hushed though, until the voice had had enough, and yelled out the contents of its message.

OVERRIDE - Manual Control received.

Suddenly David's vision came back, along with hearing and touch. He awoke with silence, trying to breathe in. But he couldn't. No noise or feeling of taking in a breath was present. Yet, he was still fine.

Turning his head to the left and right slowly, he took in his surroundings. Green was what he could see above and around him. A breeze was audible and visible as the trees swayed. Blue skies broke through the tree cover as a golden light did just the same. Noises from the forest could be heard, yet when a – whatever animal – jumped onto his chest and caught his attention, there was no feeling. No pressure to indicate that it was there. That is when he saw it. His body was not his anymore.

David brought his right hand forward to feel his chest, only the arm that came forward was not his. Or rather, it was not one he was familiar with. He jumped after being startled, sliding up slightly. He heard the ground scrape as he did so, causing him to look within his immediate vicinity. He appeared to be in a crater of some form, albeit a very small one. He then decided to take the time to look at himself, what he was now.

Metal had replaced everything. Every limb, every muscle fiber, everything. A shiny metal that seemed similar to titanium coated his body. Using his legs and arms, he stood up from his position on the ground, silently noting how well the neurological responses were. They were crisp and fast, more so than the average human reaction. If the reaction time of an average human was between half a second and a quarter second, his could now narrow down to faster than that. He couldn't do the math at the moment, but he could hazard a guess.

Suddenly, text began to show up over his vision, reminding him he hadn't felt his face. He brought up a hand to where his mouth should be, but could not feel an opening. No jaw structure or nasal structure present, meaning he had no way to breathe. Then how was he alive?

The answer came in the form of a voice in his head.

 _Would you like to keep system vocal assistant active?_

 _Yes or no._

David became confused when he heard this. System vocal assistant? Either way, the idea of voice in his head that wasn't his own wasn't agreeable. He wanted to shiver at the thought, but he didn't receive the chill down his spine like he thought he would. And so, he promptly selected no. Text presented itself in the bottom right corner of his vision.

 _Recalibrating software._

 _Thought processor functionality at sixty-seven percent._

 _Body structure at one hundred percent._

 _Bodily functions at eighty-eight percent._

 _Synthetic nervous system at thirty percent._

 _Full functionality analysis: seventy-four percent._

Reading through it all caused him to be confused and worried. The act of reading it was easier than it should have been. He didn't need to focus his gaze on the text like one would on a computer screen, rather it was presented visually and within his own mind. Like he had thought of it himself. What it was and how it worked could be figured out later, at least it was somewhat better than a voice in his head.

Another line of text displayed itself with a small, barely audible beep.

 _Organic skeletal structure intact. DNA damage: none._

David mulled over the words for a moment before looking down at his body one more time. The silver plates of metal that was his body had slight divides in them, reminiscent of a bone structure. However, they were not. Through some of the slits, he could see what was underneath besides a very minute amount of wiring.

Human bones.

Primarily, he could see the humerus of both arms and tibia of both legs. They were in what could only be called perfect condition, a white shine to them that was unnatural. His chest was only slightly the same, a ribcage barely seen through a small opening in the center of his chest. He could not confirm other bones now, but again, that was on a very short list of important things.

Looking around, he decided on a direction and began to wander. He needed to figure out where he was, when he was, and what he was. The situation was strange and would usually cause him to panic, but he was able to remain calm. Any and all random thoughts were immediately stored – the best description for the process he felt in his mind – and then he became focused on the simple goal he had. It was also very conveniently put into text in the bottom right corner of his sight.

 _Goal: acquire data on location, time, and purpose._

The way it was all presented was so robotic. It made him want to ponder what he was even more. Alas, he was unable to, because the idea was sorted away in his mind like books in a library. Once he reached some form of civilization, he would find all his answers.

A loud crack boomed in the distance, originating from ahead.

* * *

Walking had turned into running as the sound of what could only be explosions called to him. The trees were still blocking his vision, but from what he could tell, it was coming from the sky. The grass had been degrading as he got closer, turning from a lush green to a dry yellow, and it wasn't long before he saw the tree line disperse into a desert-like land. Another explosion sounded, however, it had a more physical presence this time.

The ground quaked as a shockwave blasted through the trees, almost throwing David back towards the ground. It didn't though, and he kept running because of it. His footfalls were not loud, but he noticed that he sunk into the ground with each step. His weight kept tearing the ground up when he pushed off, but he ignored it. Another thought cataloged for later. He broke through the tree line and was half tempted to shout in joy at getting out of the woods, but decided against it as he looked up. Explosions were heard, but what caught his attention after them was a sound he needed, but had hoped not to hear.

Yelling and screaming.

They cut off with another crack. David looked in the direction they had come from and immediately bolted. The least he could do was see if he could assist them. A rock was up ahead, and that was when he heard the sound of gunfire. They were small arms, using standard rounds. Wouldn't do much for - He stopped moving and thinking for a moment as he became confused with himself.

How did he know that?

It shifted to fear quickly before calm soothed him. He would worry about it later, what he needed to focus on was helping whoever it was that he could. He began running again and weaved around the giant stone. As he did so, a view met his gaze that he had never wanted to have to see.

Red stained stones and yellow grass as they bodies lied around. He looked at two of the nearest ones and confirmed that they were human. Weapons lay haphazardly around the entirety of the small battlefield, and the armor they donned looked oddly familiar. David couldn't recall exactly where he had seen it. Suddenly, the sound of metal scraping against metal broke the silence. Turning over towards the noise, David was thankful he wasn't able to gasp. A large spike had extended out of some contraption, with a human corpse stabbed into the top of it. Their limbs dangled lifelessly from it and their eyes were agape, a trail of tears evidently having been leaving his eyes before he died. It brought his gaze downward toward the origin, and a small beep went ignored as text appear.

 _Status update – Full functionality analysis: one hundred percent._

 _Synthetic nervous system: Repaired._

 _Bodily functions: Repaired._

 _Thought processors: Repaired._

 _Operating at one hundred percent capacity._

He ignored the feeling of rocks and dirt and grass beneath his feet as he recognized the robotic figures below him. Slanted figures with metal frames stared up at the human-turned-kabob. Purple and blue lights were their faces. Names, places, times, all the information came rushing back to him full force before being automatically compartmentalized in his mind.

Dragon's Teeth. Geth.

David looked upwards, and could only stare blankly at the large ship that almost looked like a hand coming back to pick him up and whisk him away.

Reapers. Sovereign.

He was on Eden Prime, during the first invasion of the Geth from out of the veil.

He was in Mass Effect.

David did not notice that he was unconsciously classifying each moving machine as a hostile, nor did he notice when they all became outlined in red. A piece of text presented itself again and he felt his body begin to adjust slightly. He became taller. His vision became clearer. Sounds came to him easier, and he could hear even the slightest change. Nerves dampened once again to barely feeling anything, but just enough.

 _Combat fortification made. You may engage hostiles._

And his world went black.

* * *

 **Hello, and welcome to my Mass Effect Project.**

 **I hope that the beginning was interesting. Believe me, the rest is coming in the next chapter. These will be long chapters each time, so it will take a while for me to put them together. Also, I would like to mention that I have not played all the Mass Effects, I haven't even finished the first one. Ant and all knowledge can be attributed to the wiki, other works here on the site, and the occasional video I've watched.  
I honestly hope this enjoyed, and while it might be a little cut and dry at the moment, I have different plans for this that should set it apart from the rest.**

 **Happy reading!**

 **B-ThreeOneTwo**


	2. Chapter 2

It felt like only a brief moment, but David knew better. When he had come to he had noticed multiple things wrong with his surroundings that hinted to the fact that he had been unaware of himself awhile, specifically the change of the battlefield.

Previously, the small valley had relatively untouched stones, and an abundance of human corpses. Green grass was trampled with the occasional spot of simmering black. It had looked more like a one sided slaughter than that of a equal leveled battle. He was disconcerted about the entire scene and the presence of Geth and Dragon Teeth didn't make him feel better. He had a minute to take in the scene, but it was almost as fresh as seeing it for the first time. He could perfectly recall every movement, sound, feeling and detail of the experience. Up until the moment his vision failed him.

Now that he regained himself, he began to prioritize certain activities. Looking down, David began to look himself over. His condition was not perfect, but not bad. He had very little exterior damage, there were a few blackened spots though. Having considered his exterior condition, he requested a system analysis from whatever assistant was inside of him - that made him feel weird - before turning to take in the scene around him and how it changed.

Grass was barely present anymore, instead being replaced with churned dirt and black ash. A small area of grass was still burning even, billowing black smoke reminiscent of a certain figure of the deceased. Rocks were cracked and scattered with black spots from Geth weapons. The human bodies were more mutilated than before and had been moved about. Geth remains were scattered around with crippled Dragon's Teeth laying on their sides, and lifeless husks littered only more of the space.

The synthetic - that was what he seemed to be now - kept observing everything in front of him, an eerie calm settling in over his mind. He felt like panicking, but it was as if his body wouldn't allow it.

Silence was not prominent on Eden Prime, that much was for sure. The distant echoes of battle were proof of that. Warships were in the sky, albeit not a large amount by far. Sovereign was nowhere to be seen and no life made itself known around the hulking, seven-foot tall robot that held an overview of the land.

David soon realized that the no text had been generated in his vision. He began to inquire mentally, since whatever it was - the Virtual Intelligence - had been able to know what it was he thought. After no reply, he did the next thing that came to mind.

"Begin system analysis?" it was more of a question than a statement, "Woah, my voice…"

 _System functionality at ninety-three percent._

 _Internal structure: Damaged._

 _Usage of raw material to repair required._

"What?" he spoke aloud once more, "usage of raw material? What does that even mean?"

 _Raw metal present nearby. Usage of raw metal required to perform repairs._

It took him a moment before he realized what the VI could be talking about, "You mean the remains of the Geth?"

 _Raw Geth material nearby is adequate for repairs._

David glanced at the closest Geth body with hesitance, "Alright, I guess."

He slowly walked over towards the disfigured Geth, the synthetic nerves in him simulating a chill descending his back. He shook the feeling away silently and looked over the figure in front of him. The metal was dented inward with obvious damage to the inside. Evidence of a round penetrating their light bulb head was easily visible, and one of the arms was missing. David looked on with wonder and frustration.

He had primarily been studying for, and almost finished, his Doctor of Medicine Degree in college. He had a masters degree in biomedical science paired with a minor in chemistry and was about to graduate from medical school when he had died. He also had a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in neuroscience with a published work that went into depth about the possibility of neurological enhancements. David wanted to chuckle at the thought; he had been so into that idea, critics kept calling it 'childish' and 'fictional'. Granted, he was influenced by things like science fiction, but the realistic applications could be very beneficial to humanity.

His hand grabbed a plate from the Geth corpse, but didn't pull it off, "I don't have an education in engineering, so can you help me out with this?"

No answer.

The man became frustrated at the lack of response. It was just there, wasn't it? Was this thing more intelligent, an AI perhaps? That could explain why it wasn't responding to him. It could be over analyzing something, or perhaps it was simply testing him. Or maybe it just knew how to get on his nerves.

He tried again, "Provide aid?"

There was still nothing, and anger got the better of David. His hand gripped the metal, causing it to bend to his grip. There was an audible crack that caused him to look up towards the sky, the metal now snapped in half within his palm. However, the noise wasn't that of the metal snapping, but rather of something else.

"I'd recognize that noise anywhere," David said, looking around the sky for the source. Suddenly, a shadow dropped over the entire area before moving along in the direction ahead of him. The shape was well known to him and would have caused his jaw to drop if he had one. The starlight glistened briefly off the side of the hulking metal creature, allowing him a glimpse of the words on the side whilst it turned to the left.

The SSV NORMANDY.

They had arrived.

Shepard had arrived.

Everything began to slow down suddenly as everything went colorless. It came to a point where everything, even himself, was barely moving. His thoughts were moving at their original speed though, and so was caught off guard slightly.

He regained himself from his motionless shock, spitting out thoughts repetitively within his head. This must've been what AI experience all the time. Since the concept of time was vastly different between and Artificial Intelligence and a normal human being, what was considered a second for a human was vastly greater than that for an AI. Something like four hours or something, if he remembered the conversion from Halo properly. If that was the reason he was experiencing this, then it would make sense, but it also reveals many questions.

What was he now? Was the change simply physical and this is that VI/AI doing something? Or was it far deeper than he thought, reaching the breadth of his mind? Was he even human anymore, or technically still one? Who's bones were in his body? His? Someone else's? And if was no longer human, what type of synthetic being was he? An AI? A droid? All these questions would have to be answered in time, however, one, in particular, had to be answered soon.

How will this be explained to Shepard? Or anyone, for that matter?

" _With an idea,"_ the feminine voice projected itself into his mind. He was, somehow, able to make himself appear within a black landscape, nothingness surrounding him endlessly. It did not scare him though as he felt the solid, flat ground beneath him, and a small breeze song tingled against his forearms and chest.

"Who are you?" David asked, though no one was present.

The voice answered, " _I was, am, and will be a gift from a friend to you. I am the one who resides within your body alongside you, and will help guide you through troubles you experience."_

"Alright, uh, what exactly does that mean?" silence greeted the question before a light shone in front of him, a brilliant blue-purple. Out came a figure, all too familiar to David. It caused him to groan – mentally, of course – and his stature drooped.

" _I am the Artificial Intelligence that resides within this frame. It was given as a gift to you, to stow your mortal life away in an immortal shell,"_ The form said, tilting its head sideways. David looked away for a moment before looking back.

Why did it have to look like Izabelle?

He looked at her directly before asking, "Okay, then who 'gifted' me this body?"

" _Don't you remember?"_

"Obviously not, if I'm asking you," the AI seemed to ponder for only a moment before they answered.

" _It was gifted to you by the ones soon to be known as 'The Reapers',"_ David almost stumbled on nothing at the answer. The Reapers built him this body? Was he indoctrinated? He knew the expanse of the indoctrination; once started, indoctrination could not be stopped. It was impossible to reverse it, or at this point in time it was.

However, his mind calmed and the AI spoke again, " _You were indoctrinated beforehand, aiding Nazara and Saren in their mission a few months ago. However, you were nearing old age, eighty-seven in fact, and you were dying. Nazara had a new body made for you using Reaper technology, also sealing your bones inside. He held a great respect for you and your work, and considered you a valuable asset for it."_

David was confused at the revelation, "What? I worked with Nazara?"

" _Yes."_

"What was my name? It couldn't have been me…"

" _Name, David H. Schaden. Born July 27 of the year 2095 on the Earth calendar. You have a Medicine Doctor Degree, a PhD in Neuroscience, a Bachelor degree in Biology and Bioscience, and a minor in chemistry. Published one work on the usage and impact of neural impacts and the practicality behind them, one of which was the usage of a greater percentage of the human brain. While the work was dismissed at the time of publishing in 2125, after first contact with the Turians and the inclusion of humanity into the Citadel, humanity took the work of others and yourself and put them into practice. The usage of this information was effective to the extent that other species looked through it all. They were moderately surprised and adopted some of the technology and reasoning behind specific topics described in it. Now, it is one of the most used books in Universities galaxy-wide, and has been acknowledged by some of the highest ranking medical and scientific individuals."_

" _After a time, you were asked to arrive at an undisclosed location with Doctor Shu Qian in the year 2162. The location of Nazara was found, and when you boarded Naza-"_

"Okay!" David interrupted ferociously, "Okay. That's enough."

" _Do you remember, Doctor?"_

"Yes," He lied through gritted teeth. He had taken part in Revelations and boarded Nazara. It explains a lot, and simply receiving the information on how he had gotten into his new body. It also confirmed that the bones were, in fact, his own. A part of him wanted to know more, but he was afraid that he would not be able to handle it.

The information took a bit longer to process before he spoke again, "Do you have contact with Nazara?"

" _Yes."_

That alone made the next decision clear, but he needed more information, "Were you coded directly by Nazara?"

" _Yes."_

"Why did he save me, an organic?"

" _Because it felt an innate compulsion to do so."_

"What?"

The AI looked at him quizzically, " _The way it described it within its matrix was something akin to being indoctrinated, or so it would guess. It had the same feeling when you stated you were dying, and thus built you a body."_

That struck a chord with him.

When Death had been going on about the topic of 'multi-verse spectrum', it was more or less lost on him in terms of understanding. Now it made sense. Everything he imagined about the Mass Effect universe _was_ this exact universe. To the characters and their looks, to his history and circumstance. The issue with this hypothesis was that he did not ever remember getting this in depth with his own history within the game. So that meant someone else had to.

Just then, another voice boomed in his ears, "Yes, I set the stage of history for your convenience. You, who wanted to help the world and died with your science."

" _What is this?"_ The AI suddenly sounded afraid, the unknown voice heard even by her. I, however, felt a strange calm fall over me as he spoke again.

"Be strong, Schaden, I am here for your benefit today," The voice seemed to shift towards a new target, "But you, synthetic, are not welcome here and will not stay."

David shuddered at the voice. It boomed around him within his mind-space and held an odd familiarity to it. The AI looked horrified at the voice, eyes widening as its blue frame shifted to a pale baby blue. It looked upward and seemed to see what was speaking, as evident by the look it held on its face. Suddenly, the frame performed something akin to screen tearing, as it was digitally spliced before flashing out of existence. The presence of the synthetic was gone, a small cloud within his mind having clearly indicated this.

"Who exactly are you?" David asked without fear, the presence of this being not exerting a menacing aura. It seemed to chuckle slightly before answering.

"To this realm, I am a sad presence for I am Death here," it stated before continuing, "I take those whose time has come, those who seem to be held dear."

"I figured that the moment you stated you were the Death of this universe," David didn't look anywhere, as there was nothing to look at. The being wasn't going to show itself it seemed, but that was fine by his standards.

"I am a guardian," it seemed to let out a growl with the word 'guardian', "I will guide you through this world."

"Then will you fulfill my request?" the question left his mouth before he could stop himself. The deep chuckle from Death left him feeling embarrassed and now he partially wanted the being to leave.

Death chuckled, "I shall, but I cannot return what was lost to this world."

The news of that dampened David's mood. If the embodiment of Death itself couldn't reverse his predicament, then it left him with one option.

He would have to make his body himself.

"I require the knowledge of my most recent playthrough of Mass Effect, as well as the information on the Wikipedia page. They have information that can prove detrimental to this world," David requested, and it echoed through the endless banks of his mind. The being chuckled as its voice became softer and softer.

"You are very interesting, Doctor David Schaden. I will aid you in your quest so until we meet again…"

Time resumed with such a rapidness that it made David jump. He looked around himself, checking to make sure everything was okay. No hostiles presented themselves anywhere near him, and to make matters worse that AI was no longer present in existence, so he had no idea to run the tiny things.

Then, a voice in his head spoke, " _The knowledge you requested, a gift to you from myself."_

The voice of Death whispered into his mind before information began flooding in. Dates, names, species, choices, all of it. Immediately, his mind began to categorize each by importance. Every decision he had made separated into a pile that was different from others, so on and so forth. It was like an index of everything he could possibly know. It did not hurt, but it was strangely satisfying.

His mind wondered how it was possible for him to feel satisfaction if he had no organic brain, but stopped short of voices moving towards his position. They were human that much was certain, but that just made him worried. After all, there were clear hostilities towards synthetic beings and David did not want to be targeted for being one.

Looking around for a temporary solution, his gaze met one of the dead soldiers. He was against disturbing the dead, but this was one of those times where personal preference was against the wind.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," David told the corpse closest to him, quickly unclasping the armor from the man. It was roughly his size, probably a little bigger than himself, but that did not bother him.

After equipping the items, the voices began drawing nearer, signaling for David to make himself presentable. Only then did he think through his plan even more though.

They had a doctor on board who would assess his injuries. That is, if it was the Normandy crew, they would have Doctor Karin Chakwas, but it was not wrong to assume that any ship has their own doctor or field surgeon on board. He would not be able to pass off a medical evaluation if he were on the any ship, especially if he was going to imitate an injured soldier.

Faking a wound wasn't an option, it seemed.

He did not know what else could be done and began to panic slightly. The voices became louder and footsteps followed. He decided that the best bet for the moment would be to dispose of the body he stripped, he would be able to play a dead soldier. They would inevitably skip over him, before alliance marines would come back to reclaim their dead.

Dozens of the many lights that made up his face glowed in an intricate yellow hue as an idea popped into his mind.

He could hide as a fatality of the Geth towards the end of the mission. David knew where it would end, by the Prothean beacon. The beacon only responded to the touch of organic life, not synthetic. It would allow him to lean against it and hopefully be taken aboard. Even better than that, he could pretend to be a Prothean Virtual Intelligence.

And on the way there was a run in with Saren and Nihlus, the two Turians would face each other down. It would be useful, since Saren would perceive him as an ally and it would allow him to convene with Nazara. Inform him of a plan to infiltrate the Citadel and lie in wait before cutting all communication with the machine. Then he could figure out a way to join Shepard later on. The only issue with that was that he did not want to be seen with the beacon, nor did he actually want to run into Saren and Nazara. He would have to contact them at some other time. So, David decided to approach it differently.

He would be the Prothean VI of this beacon, but he was held back from moving along with the beacon to its new location. That would be his story. He would have to come up with a name for himself or something since 'David Schaden' was fairly recognizable throughout the galaxy apparently.

So, removing the armor again with haste and tossing it away, he rushed over by the rocks before adopting a straight but confused stature. The footsteps were upon him now, causing him to look back at the group.

There they stood, the trio of soldiers, looking around the site.

He'd forgotten to mention that he was at the dig site initially, but that was in the past now.

"This is the dig site. The beacon was right here. It must have been moved," The female soldier in the pink and white armor stated, pointing towards the center of the structure.

"By who? Our side? Or the Geth?" The black-suited soldier inquired. The pink and white soldier looked at him while the third glanced around.

 _Time to make my move_.

David stepped out from behind one of the Prothean walls, making an effort to move around with a confused stature. Catching the eye of their third, he heard the sound of a weapon being drawn.

A shout split the air, "Hostile!"

David spun quickly towards them as the other two brought their weapons to bear. He quickly put his hands up just as a shot rang throughout the dig site.

"I am not a hostile!" the synthetic shouted in surprise as the shot hit his shields - which he did not know he had - and more shots missed his frame.

He received no response so he tried again, "No, I will restate myself: I am _not_ a hostile!"

The trio, who had dropped behind cover, stopped shooting as one of them shouted from behind their rock, "Don't tell us shit, you killed them you bastard!"

"No, I did not," he wailed, "please, I mean no harm, Humans!"

It was weird saying that considering he was technically still human. He earned a reply from a different voice, "Get on your knees then! Surrender and we will not engage in combat with you!"

 _That is definitely Jennifer Hale's voice, meaning that's Shepard!_

Without a sound, David complied with the request and lowered himself to his knees. He kept his hands raised as he saw the white and pink armored soldier look over the rock.

"I am complying!" David shouted in reassurance. There was a pause as a female soldier clad in black armor revealed themselves from cover. The pink and white soldier followed behind her while the other black armored soldier stayed a good distance away, probably to provide cover from a distance.

The two female soldiers - who David knew were both Shepard and Ashley - quickly brought themselves over to his kneeled form. Ashley still had her weapon aimed at him in case he tried anything, but it was ultimately unnecessary.

Shepard bore down on him, "What are you? You don't look like Geth."

David needed a moment to think of a name for himself, but his thoughts were disrupted by the butt of a rifle hitting him.

"She asked you a question!" Ashley growled out. David didn't spare her a glance, instead offering his faceplate towards Shepard.

"I am Prothean Advanced Virtual Intelligence designated S5-435N. I am - _was_ \- the residential system monitor for the Prothean beacon stationed on this planetary body," the lie was easy enough to come up with on the spot, the issue was keeping up with it in the future.

Ashley lowered her weapon slightly, "Prothean Advanced Virtual Intelligence?"

"Yes," David responded, "I was set to activate upon discovery by other races. It was my objective to prepare other species to fight the oncoming slaughter once the cycle began again."

"What slaughter?" Shepard asked whilst motioning for Kaiden to move up. David was purposefully being vague to convince them to move elsewhere, specifically the _Normandy_.

"I can only divulge your curiosity once I have located the beacon. I was removed for study before these synthetics attacked."

Shepard stood still and pondered her options for a minute as David was silently hoping for her to choose the option he wanted her to. Ashley looked on in what he would guess to be hesitation and soon vocalized such ideas.

"Commander, I don't like the idea. I say we kick this bucket and find the beacon."

"That will not be necessary, Gunnery Chief," Shepard stated before turning back to David, "You will be accompanying us to retrieve the beacon before being questioned. If you are truly Prothean by design, then you should be able to give us valuable intel."

"But of course!" David replied with false delight, "I will provide any information I am capable of."

He cursed himself slightly at his mood. He was acting almost like 343 Guilty Spark from Halo with a voice similar to that of Samuel Hayden from Doom.

Shepard looked back at Kaiden, "All clear, Kaiden. We are moving to retrieve the beacon."

"Are you sure this thing is safe, Shepard?" Kaiden asked with caution. It was rightfully placed, David would give that to him at least.

"I am most assuredly 'safe'. I will provide support where needed," David said as he stood to his full height, towering over the part by about six inches.

"Alright then, let's move!" Shepard ordered, gesturing for David to lead the way. They traversed through the site easily, coming up a hill towards multiple pillars of smoke. Shepard put a hand up to her helmet before lowering it.

 _Probably Nihlus's transmission about the spaceport._

As they approached, smoking buildings could be seen and fire lit the area like a light show. Ashley spoke up from behind, "Looks like they hit the camp hard."

"It's a good place for an ambush, keep your guard up," Kaiden spoke up. David knew what was up ahead. Their first introduction to Dragon's Teeth. And he would be the one to let them know.

Once they came into view, he stuck a hand behind him for them to stop. He pointed up ahead at the spikes with the husks planted on them.

"How," he began with a worried tone, "are _those_ here?"

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked as she came up next to him. He quickly glanced at her before pointing at the impaled human.

"Those are Dragon's Teeth! The technology of the ones responsible for the Prothean's extermination!" the small tidbit of information was enough for the trio to tense of suddenly, allowing him to explain a bit more.

"They take living organisms and turn them into synthetic beings. They were prominent during the Prothean war against them," David stated, glaring at the large spikes as best he could.

"So we destroy them," Ashley stated matter-of-factly. David nodded in agreement and began to move up again, this time with caution. Soon, David would have to talk with Nazara; as long as his existence was known to the Reaper, it was an inevitability he would have to look out for.

Oh, the woes of the world.

* * *

 **Thank you for coming and reading this update. more is to come in the future, and I have great plans for this story! Thank you for all those who reviewed and favorited, as well as followed! this garnered a lot of attention for a single chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

Despite the doubt and caution that her fellow alliance soldiers over their 'guide', Jane Shepard was confident in that S5-435N would only help them. She couldn't quite understand why she felt that way, but she followed her gut.

She had been given the rundown of the mission before landing on Eden Prime, and there was nothing said about a Prothean VI. It wouldn't be a lie to say that it had caught her off guard, and at first she was sure it was a Geth. The same could be said for Ashley and Kaiden. They were sure that they would enter combat when the hulking form of the synthetic came from behind the rock. But they hadn't, and Jane could tell the two soldiers had been relieved.

Suddenly, Steven's right hand - that's what she decided to call him since his designated numerals were a bit much - moved down and opened signalingling them to stop.

"How," His voice spoke of worry as he pointed up ahead, "are _those_ here?"

Jane followed where he was pointing and had to hold down her stomach at the sight. Three large spikes protruded out of strange purple devices, and impaled on their ends were what she could only call mutilated corpse. Their skin seemed to almost be gone, instead, it was replaced with a purple metallic shine that was unnatural. Blue lights illuminated the bodies, shining off the dried blood that was present on the large spikes.

She stepped up next to Steven, "What do you mean?"

"Those are Dragon's Teeth!" He exclaimed, "The technology of the ones responsible for the Protheans extermination!"

She, along with the others, tensed at this information. It provided some insight for what Steven called 'slaughter', albeit it seemed to now become 'extermination'. Whatever created those Dragon's Teeth was here, and it had supplied the Geth with this technology.

What did that mean for the Galaxy? If this thing was here, then did that mean the cycle was beginning already? So many questions, hopefully Steven would be able to supply them all with answers.

The synthetic began to speak again, "They take living organisms and turn them into synthetic beings. They were prominent during the Prothean war against them."

"So we destroy them," Ashley spoke up from behind. Shepard kept her gaze locked on the spikes as Steven nodded in agreement before he began moving up, and the rest began to follow behind him.

"Indeed. You need to destroy them before they retract into themselves again, lest they release the husks to fight us," Steven explained as they drew closer. Jane looked back and nodded at Kaiden and Ashley before bringing her rifle to bear. The sound was accompanied by the other two as they prepared to engage in combat.

As they reached the peak of the hill, an ear splitting noise filled the air. Jane looked towards the Dragon's Teeth and bore witness to the three spike retract into themselves. The scraping of metal did not go unnoticed, and Steven stepped backwards slightly as the machines finished.

"Shoot them now!" his deep, layered voice shouted out just as a small flash came from the center of each husk. They shook violently for a moment and one began to stand up.

Needless to say, Jane hesitated no longer.

She pressed the trigger of her rifle down and let the mass accelerated rounds rip into the things, shredding their bodies before they had a chance to stand up completely. The accompaniment of Ashley's and Kaiden's guns did even more damage, sealing the fates of the disgusting machines.

When it was over, Shepard looked over towards Steven. He had stood back for them to engage, but did not support in the gunfight. Despite the fact that they had it under control, it would have been appreciated if he had offered some support.

Ashley voiced Jane's thoughts openly enough though, "Could'a helped us, buckethead."

"I apologize for the lack of combat support, _Williams_. I do not have any combat capabilities within my systems. I can only offer medical and tactical support," Steven hissed out, stunning Shepard only for a moment before she regained herself. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion from behind her helmet. She had good reason to.

After all, no one had told Steven Ashley's last name.

Silence hung in the air for a moment before Kaiden spoke up, "Hey, there's a shack over there."

He pointed ahead towards a metal science building that was built into the side of a rock wall. It was unscathed from battle and seemed to be shut.

 _Survivors might be inside. Either that or something that can help us._

They all approached it silently. When they got to the door, Ashley looked at it for a moment.

"It's closed. Security lock's engaged."

Shepard looked back at the group, "I should be able to open this…"

"Alright then, I'll let you handle it," Steven said from the back of the group. He seemed to distance himself from the door, as evident by the fact that he was a least three meters away compared to everyone else. It was strange until she thought about a bit more, and then it began to make sense in a way.

For one, they did not know what was inside. There could be Geth inside, waiting for some unsuspecting person to approach and open up the gates to their demise.

But that was just a risk Jane Shepard was willing to take.

She fiddled slightly with the security lock, pressing an assortment of buttons for a few seconds before it opened with a hiss.

Inside were two humans, a man and a women dressed in science robes.

"Human! Thank the Maker!" the woman stated with relief. The other one, an older man, fiddled with his hands as he came up beside her.

Fear was plastered over his face as he spoke, "Hurry! Close the door before they come back!"

"Don't worry," Jane stated as Ashley and Kaiden came in behind her, "We'll protect you."

The female doctor looked between the three of them, "Thank you. I think we'll be okay now. It looks like everyone's gone."

"You're Doctor Warren, the one in charge of the excavation," Ashley commented from behind, "Do you know what happened to the beacon?"

"It was moved to the spaceport this morning. Manuel and I stayed behind to help pack up the camp. When the attack came, the marines held them off long enough for us to hide," Sorrow filled Doctor Warren's features, "They gave their lives to save us."

Shepard looked down in sorrow for a moment. Eden Prime would never be the same after this. The entire galaxy would hear of this, and everyone would be paranoid of the Geth threat. The fact that so many had died was horrible, but they had a mission to do. Mourning the dead would not bring them back to life, Jane knew this. They had a mission to finish.

So, Jane Shepard pushed on with the questions.

* * *

David Schaden, the false Prothean Virtual Intelligence, stood outside cursing himself.

He made a huge mistake by snapping at Ashley. In the heat of the moment he had used her last name, and when he had done so he had wanted to shoot himself. A simple slip of the tongue - or vocal program, technically - aroused suspicion of him immediately. He could literally feel it in the air. It was hard to miss, and the same could be said about the mood overal.

Nobody trusted him.

David knew that this would happen. Meeting a synthetic in the midst of a raid by similar being would have anyone on edge. One that was willing and wanting to accompany you? That was a stretch in, and of itself.

He stayed back a few feet from the science shed; he knew what they would talk about in there. It was all in his databanks in his head. But it wasn't the only reason. He had claimed to be a Prothean Virtual Intelligence taken away by the scientists for study, but that was something the lead of the excavation would know about. It would blow his cover and immediately open up hostilities between all of them.

The synthetic needed Shepard, needed to help her to the best of his ability. He knew the events that would take place, and knew the outcomes of everything to be. It was within his power to stop it. It was his purpose.

Thinking through it all would only be seconds in real time, but it could take decades in his head. He had already deducted that he could think within the time perception as any AI. He could look at a map and think of all possible strategies over the period of seven years, and when he returned it would have only been two minutes.

So, exploiting this was simple enough.

He needed to contact Nazara. It was something he would rather get over and done with, not wait until a moment where it could blow over badly. He could probably get away with wandering off, or maybe even claiming to know where the beacon is based off of a false signal he was receiving. But no, that would only raise more suspicion. The only logical step he could take in this situation was to follow Shepard through this.

Once they finished finding the beacon, he could leave for a while. There were things he needed to know in order to make sure he was acting within safe limits of this reality. He couldn't let them know he was David Schaden. Not yet.

One of the many things he needed to figure out was his history. He had not been given that information, which, in hindsight, he should have asked for, so finding that out would be important.

 _Priority one: Contact Saren or Nazara._

 _Priority two: discover the history of yourself._

David shook his head as the text came over his vision. It was both helpful and annoying to a degree, but he refused to get rid of it because the aid it provided outweighed his personal preference.

"Williams, take us to the spaceport," He heard Shepard order Ashley. That was the que that they were going to leave.

The trio came out with Ashley in the lead. Shepard glanced towards David and nodded for him to join them. He did, falling in behind them as they rounded a rock. He stopped however, and looked up towards the sky for a moment.

Since when did he have a map?

David certainly didn't remember ever seeing it, and the only reason he even realized it was there was because of the incessant beeping that assaulted his audio receptors. Two dots were positioned near each other, before one of them started to move. It began to circle around the other, and immediately David knew what they were.

Nihlus and Saren.

 _Calculating: Target distance, gravity, and force._

 _You may intervene when deemed necessary._

David didn't realize it, but he was suddenly holding a rock in his right hand. A line beginning at himself went up and curved down over the rock wall, highlighting a body.

A turian body.

He knew what he had to do.

Rearing his arm back, he followed the calculations to the letter, before throwing his arm forward with the required amount of force. He watched it sail through the air and make impact with his target as the sound of a shot was heard.

Both dots were still there, which was evidence enough that he had succeeded.

He had just saved Nihlus from an untimely demise. Shepard and the rest of the group had stopped, and were now staring at him blankly.

Kaiden spoke up with suspicion, "What did you just do?"

"Ah~," David drew out slightly, "My sensors found two strange entities a distance away and had identified one as a threat to the other. So, I intervened."

"That's...oddly specific," Shepard spoke up, "But that's besides the point at the moment. We need to meet up with Nihlus before we can retrieve the beacon."

David nodded in agreement. They would witness Nazara leaving shortly with Saren on board, hopefully the Reaper would see him and attempt contact at a acceptable time. It would certainly save David from all the trouble of trying to contact him.

They continued at a brisk pace through the rocks before stopping at the top of another hill. The trio stood there gaping, whilst David slowly walked to the front of the group.

His gaze was trained on the large form of Nazara, and he was awestruck by the form of the machine of destruction.

The game did no justice for the being.

The outer frame was a wispy grey combined with the reflection of the sun. A single, small red eye was evident on its center, and despite the fact that it didn't move, it felt like it was focusing solely on him. More detail was in the metal, which looked untouched and new, every single deviation and edge was precise. The design was amicable, yet menacing all the same. The curves and limbs of the being made it an intimidating presence on its own, as the recognition of such craftsmanship could only mean it was made by greater masters. The Leviathans had out done themselves, making such a horrifying yet beautiful machine. Everyone else still gapped at it though, struck by how large the 'ship' was.

Red lightning traversed the air from the machine and struck into the ground as it began to levitate off the ground. Lights illuminated the machine as it increased in speed.

Ashley broke from her stupor, "L-look at the size of that thing!"

"You are not wrong about that," Shepard agreed, her gaze following the machine as it flew into the sky.

"It must have an enormous eezo core for it to leave orbit like that!" Kaiden's haze was glued to it as well. It was a stunning sight to be sure.

One that was interrupted by a loud buzzing noise.

David cringed slightly at the noise, a barely noticeable creak of his joints rubbing together weird Emirates from him. The trio turned towards him, looking on with apparent confusion.

Shepard spoke up, "What's wrong?"

"Hostile down the hill!" David practically shouted out. He could _feel_ something connecting with him. Like something working it's way through his mind, and soon he found himself there.

In his mind space.

He stood upon an open plateau. Emerald green grass colored the ground as far as the eye could see, and an infinite blue sky lay above, waiting for him to swim within its clouds. A shadow was suddenly cast over him, though if it was looking for a reaction from him, it would be very disappointed.

" **Doctor Schaden,** " a mechanized voice erupted from all around him, " **how are you here?** "

"I have a similar question. _Why_ are you here?" David spoke with concealed venom, but knew he could not hide it from Nazara.

" **Unnecessary. You answer to me, Schaden. How are you here?** "

"Actually, never mind. I already know why you are here," The synthetic man was getting snarky, "The Prothean beacon, no?"

No reply was given, but an intense pressure was felt, "Do not worry, I am retrieving it for you."

" **Unnecessary,** " Nazara raises its voice, shaking David's mindscape. The presence of this being within his mind was different then he had thought. He would have thought he'd be indoctrinated by now, but a few things came to mind that dissuaded the possibility, yet also provided more questions.

It was because Nazara had made this body that he could not be indoctrinated. It made sense, yet also didn't. If Nazara _did_ make this body, he should have control of it and, therefore, should have been able to know his location. But since the Reaper apparently didn't know he was here, what did that mean? It didn't make sense.

And if indoctrination was not possible on him, why keep him around? It was not like a Reaper to show such favoritism. Not only that, but because indoctrination was impossible on him, didn't that mean there was a method to stopping it? That would only solidify the fact that Nazara should have killed him.

Another instance of inquiry is what _had_ he been doing for Nazara? If Nazara did not know how he was here, then he must have been somewhere doing something, and only the Reaper would know for sure.

"It is very necessary, considering the fact that you haven't been able to retrieve it, and I have awoken on the planet you have laid siege to with no recollection of any recent events from the past twenty years," David hissed in his mind. Nazara's presence was fading bit by bit, a sign that the machine was growing distant from the planet.

" **I will proceed in contacting you later. The information you require is already set in place amongst your mind,** " Nazara's layered voice faded away as the shadow cast over David's mindscape retracted into nothingness. David stood alone, synthetic nerves feeling the wind blowing over it all, and the soft grass beneath his feet. He waited for the moment where he would return to the death-riddled world of Eden Prime, where he would continue on his journey with Shepard.

He was met with silence for a few moments, before his mind was punched with _petabytes_ of information. It was like the wikipedia and loaded save from the game, just on a much larger scale. And, as this started to be processed categorized in his data banks, he felt a myriad of emotions through all of them.

Love, hate, happiness, sadness, loneliness, friendship, acknowledgement, everything was flooding in. All the visions were so real that he felt like he was dying again, watching his life flash before his eyes. One thing about it stuck out to him, the similarity striking a chord in his very being.

It was all the same.

His first life and this one were both the same. They took place in different points in time, and one extended more than the other, but they were still the same. It was surprising and painful at the same time. It was hard to not feel sorry for the David Schaden of this universe. He knew what he went through, having gone through it twice himself now.

Twenty-nine-year-old David Schaden halted the flow of information, instead categorizing it into a single file to look at later. It would be something he could look through later when he was alone, somewhere he could gather himself up for it.

It was time for him to return to reality.

* * *

Shepard pressed the trigger of her assault rifle and held it there for a few seconds before letting go, content with the job she and the rest of her squad had finished. Multiple Husks and Geth lay dead around the small spaceport. Nihlus was present as well, and had been engaged by multiple hostiles by the time they'd arrived. It took great effort to take down the enemy's forces, and even more internal strength to shoot what were once fellow humans.

Jane was definitely throwing up the moment she had an opportunity.

As the last enemy fell, she sheathed her weapon and turned towards Ashley and Kaiden, gesturing with her hand for them to come along. Nihlus stood from behind his cover, putting his weapon away as they approached.

"It's good to see you, Shepard," Nihlus greeted calmly, "I was in a tough spot."

"No need to thank me, Nihlus. It's the least I can do," Jane replied.

"Who's this?" Ashley asked with a small amount of distaste. Shepard was slightly taken aback at the way the remark sounded.

Was the Gunnery Chief a xenophobe?

"Nihlus, Council Spectre," the Turian introduced. Heavy footfalls sounded from behind Jane, putting her on high alert. Turning around, she attempted to bring her weapon to bear in time to assess the threat, but Nihlus beat her to it.

Nihlus already had his assault rifle out and immediately opened fire. The sound of rounds bouncing off of shields put everyone on alert immediately. All weapons had been drawn and they aimed squarely upon the eight foot figure, only for all but Nihlus to lowered them.

"You can stand down, Nihlus. This is an...ally," Shepard hesitated slightly. Steven stood in front of them, standing a foot taller compared to when they'd last seen him about fifteen minutes ago.

It was strange really. When they'd seen the ship, he had been as right as rain. Well, she would assume so. The VI had looked on towards the ship with what she would assume was awe, before the vertical line of light where his 'face' was dimmed from bright blue to a dark yellow. He had stood perfectly still in the exact position. They had tried to get his attention, but their attempts had been interrupted by the Geth and Husks that suddenly assaulted them. They'd decided - more like Ashley had - to move on ahead without him, and proceeded to engage in combat.

Now, Steven stood there, standing straight and firm. His facial light was now a bright orange, and it bore down on them from above.

"I am indeed an ally," the giant robot rumbled out. Jane had to suppress a slight shiver at his voice. She had partially ignored it up until now. She noted how it sounded like multiple voices were overlapping, like they were fighting for dominance. It created an eerie echo that lasted only part of a second, but it was intimidating.

That wasn't even talking about his appearance. Steven was a pristine white with various greys about his robotic body. Joints were visible along his arms and legs as well, and his torso came out oddly. It was as if he was carrying something in his chest, the single grey bump had multiple circles connected with lines that glowed the same color as his head. His hands had three fingers, one of which was shorter and opposite of the other two. His legs were definitely a sight. They were digitigrade, having the initial knee joints that bent towards another segment with another joint, before coming forward. A better description would be to call them horse legs almost.

She thought back to what he had done just prior to it all. Intervening with a threat? With a rock? Suspicion came over Shepard again, but she put it off. She had a mission, goddamnit, she needed to focus. Questions could come later.

"How so?" Nihlus sounded suspicious, more so than Ashley or Kaiden. Steven walked over to the group, all the while looking down on him.

"I am Prothean Advanced Virtual Intelligence designated S5-435N. I am the one responsible for the protection of the Prothean beacon on this planetary body," He introduced, "I am here to aid you humans in the acquirement of this beacon."

Nihlus looked about ready to argue before Steven put a three-fingered hand up, "Do not say that it is not required of me. I will not take a liking to you spewing venom towards me."

Nihlus piped down, glancing at Jane for a moment for confirmation. She simply nodded, causing the Turian to relax.

"The beacon was moved to the larger spaceport this morning," Jane looked towards the VI, "We need to head there now, and secure it."

"I shall let you lead then," Steven replied, gesturing with a hand for them to move. Shepard looked over to the other three before switching her gaze in the direction of the spaceport.

"Alright then, let's move."

* * *

"Why did you let him stay down there? He was of great used to us!" the voice of one Saren Arterius echoed through the depths of Nazara.

" **He will be still. Once he retrieves the beacon - something you failed to do - we will make our way to the conduit,** " The voice of Nazara spoke through Saren's mind. Saren growled before it turned into a full roar, stomping once on the ground.

"David Schaden holds valuable knowledge that we need! He is not efficient in combat and will fail more than I! He _will_ alert the entire council about-" before Saren could finish, he clutched his head and gasped for air. The feeling of a thin blade piercing his brain caused him to hunch over, and let out a scream of agony.

" **Unnecessary,** " Nazara boomed, " **Schaden is important. There is already a plan in motion, one you cannot understand yet. Stay your place,** _ **organic**_ **. You have a different purpose.** "

Nazara faded out of Saren's mind. It watched on silently as Saren began to mumble incoherently. The organic was a nuisance, but not worthless. There was much more that Saren Arterius needed to accomplish. Nazara was going to achieve what it was supposed to do with this organic making it easier. And while Schaden might think he was deceiving the Reaper, it knew what he was intending to do. It would intervene when it wanted to, when it was most opportune to do so.

David Schaden's actions were not of his own design.

* * *

 **Woo, another chapter!**

 **I cut this one a bit short, but that was on purpose. Something is going to happen next chapter, and it will be exciting!**

 **Thank you all who are reviewing, following, and favoriting this story. It means a lot. Even the negative reviews, or the ones that call this story into question. If you don't get something, or something is confusing, try reading a bit more carefully. Who knows, maybe the answer is already there…**

 **This won't be your typical fanfiction either, as there are some very...different things...that will be present in this story as opposed to those out there.**

 **Anyways, have a good day and keep reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! Yes, it has been quite a while since the last update. I know, I know "Where have you been?" Busy.**

 **Very Busy.**

 **This one is a bit shorter than usual, but it should not be a reoccurring theme. In terms of questions asked last time, I won't answer them outright. Rather, they will be answered as I keep writing, and so you should keep reading to have them answered. However, keep asking questions because they help me make sure my next chapter is filling and accurate!**

 **Merry Christmas!**

* * *

David Schaden had fucked up. Royally.

He was running through the motions of everything that happened since his arrival, noting specific things that could possibly alter events. One such thing just so happened to be his existence in the first place. Another had been his successful attempt at saving Nihlus from Saren.

 _That had to have been it._

It couldn't be anything else. The moment Saren failed in killing Nihlus he had lost the beacon. It caused him to retreat prematurely, and also never having accessed the beacon in the first place. This meant a few new developments.

No bombs were going to be present at the spaceport. Since Saren never got to the beacon and had immediately retreated with Nazara, he never planted the bombs. That also meant that there would be very minimal, if _any_ , Geth forces present to stop them. Honestly, it made it easier on all of them.

They could thank him later.

It also meant that the beacon was going to be more easily accessible to Shepard. She wouldn't be knocked unconscious, and would be able to understand the vision from Ilos. The beacon also wouldn't explode from overuse, which would be beneficial for humanity. This, however, did not negate the fact that there were numerous _unknown_ changes. Would this mean that Shepard wouldn't be a Council Spectre? Would Saren be immediately convicted, or would he get away with what he had done? Who would claim the Beacon since it wasn't destroyed? Would war break out over it, even though a much bigger threat was already present.

And so, David Schaden jumped into the rabbit hole, drowning in doubt and questions. He would need contingency plans in case anything went wrong, or if there was an unforeseen deviation in the timeline that could cause problems.

He couldn't interact with the beacon, which meant getting it to explode would be hard. David had decided that the beacon was one of the bigger catalysts to change. Yes, it would give humanity an edge in technology. Yes, it could very well be the one thing that gives humanity a spot on the Citadel Council. But it would become a target for other species as well. There would be political backdraft, especially between the Humans and Turians. It had many repercussions from the simple fact that Humanity had a beacon.

It would be the same thing if the Asari's little secret about their hidden beacon came to light, just that that scenario was more extreme. Either way, it was bound to be a ride no one would be prepared for.

Arriving at the cargo bay, David watched Jane look around for a moment as he headed over to the train car. The synthetic knew which one it was, and made sure he wasn't noticed by the rest of the group. He caught sight of an upgrade crate and noticed that Shepard had seen it as well. While he couldn't see her face, there was interest in her stance. It brought a question to the forefront of his mind: What class was the Shepard of this Universe?

He would have that answered later. Just as she took the first step towards it, Nihlus interrupted her.

"Shepard," Nihlus called, "over here! There's a cargo train we can take to the spaceport!"

"Alright!" Shepard replied across the cargo bay as she turned and began jogging in their direction. Ashley and Kaiden followed behind at a slightly slower speed, and soon they met up at the train.

David silently hoped that it didn't draw suspicion that he was there first, if it went noticed at all. He was already on edge around the group, having wrought doubt and caution upon them from the moment they met. He was in a minefield here.

Ashley fiddled with the cargo train controls a bit, before the platform lurched suddenly. A moment later, they were heading towards the spaceport. They would make it in good time.

"I wonder how the rest of the ground forces are doing," Ashley mumbled out of nowhere. Shepard turned to offer some emotional support, only to be interrupted by their VI friend.

"The entirety of Eden Prime was attacked by overbearing forces at the exact same time, across the entire planet where colonies were present. Not to mention that Alliance forces did not arrive to reinforce initially, so they were underprepared as well," David stated bluntly. He had to resist the urge to rear back in shock at himself. Why would he say that? This was the kind of thing that he _should not_ be saying out loud. He waited in bated silence for the question to come. It did.

"How do you know that?" Kaiden inquired, tensing slightly as he stared at the synthetic.

"I required information on the predicament. Before you found me, I had taken the liberty of taking the communications device off of the dead. I used it to assess the situation and prioritize objectives based off of what I found out," The lie came out easily enough, making him want to punch himself. Lie after lie, was that what he was going to do? It would catch up to him eventually, and then trust would be nonexistent between them all.

Ashley growled under her breath as she looked away from David, "Damn machine."

Anger suddenly rose within him as he reared on Ashley suddenly.

"You-u h-half a-," before David could finish, his anger died away as quickly as it came, and the response with it. He took two steps back in shock as he went deep in thought.

What was that? He didn't know why he got so angry all of a sudden. And his words. They felt like they were split into two separate entities, one of which was going faster than the other like a stutter almost.

David looked up at the faces now staring pointedly at him, "I apologize for my behavior. It seems I was offline for...too long."

Could that be what it was, induced rampancy? David had no idea if it was possible, and it was also an implausible explanation; he had only been present in this world for about two hours at least. Not only that, but he was of a human mind, so that kind of affliction was technically impossible, right?

"Everyone," Shepard caught everyone's attention as she brought her assault rifle to bear, "We have Geth here. Prepare for combat."

The resounding clicks of rifles coming to bear was satisfying in a strange way. Hopefully, none of them would sustain any injuries, he did not want to have to do his job. Especially the Turian, since he was not familiar with their physiology.

Why was he suddenly so comfortable with going into combat? David was boggled by what was running through his head, not knowing what was happening.

 _Why is this happening?!_

 _ **Because you don't belong here.**_

The voice echoed through his mind, catching him off guard and causing him to freeze. The moment the cargo train halted, the four combatants jumped off and engaged, whilst he stayed back, frozen from what he was experiencing at the moment. He tried to move, only that his body wouldn't budge. He didn't know what was going on, and could only watch as the battle unfolded before him.

He watched as mass accelerated rounds flew out of rifles as plasma returned the greeting. Lights from the Geth flashed brightly even in the sun, allowing their weak points to be easy targets. Metal bent and melted under the heat and power of rivaling forces, and the pitter-patter of footsteps was dulled by all else.

Shepard pushed her back against a crate, peeking out from behind her piece of cover. She pulled her head back just as a blob of plasma whizzed past. She looked over at everyone else. Nihlus was being suppressed, crouching behind a crate. Kaiden and Ashley were in a similar predicament, the two having to share a large container. Every few moments Ashley or Kaiden would pop out and fire at the enemy, only to be pushed back again.

They needed to move. This was becoming a game of attrition, one of which he knew they didn't want to play. He watched as Shepard looked around frantically for a solution before her helmeted gaze fell to himself.

"Steven!" Shepard shouted as plasma impacted the crate, almost toppling it over. She had to push against it to keep it from crushing her. He became confused for a moment.

 _Steven?_

"Yes, Shepard?" he replied in a calm tone, despite the panic he was feeling inside.

"I need you to become a focal point for the enemy! That way we can push up!" The woman shouted over the gunfire. A stray plasma round splashed over David's shields as stared at the woman, thinking through his next few actions.

"I'll do my best," he replied, and then movement returned to his control. He began to walk forward, passing Shepard and Nihlus by with only a few strides. The sound of each foot hitting the metallic ground below him was akin to a the sound of metal bending, each footfall being purposely stomped to draw attention.

The Geth slowly worked their focus towards him, evident by more rounds hitting his shield. They splashed over the oval force around him like water balloons being thrown against a window. It was honestly kind of beautiful.

He could hear Shepard and Nihlus return fire, along with Ashley and Kaiden who soon followed in their shadow. Geth began dropping and less began to fire upon him because of it. The battlefield began to quiet down, and soon the last of the enemy lay dead on the ground.

The team scanned the area around them for more hostiles, and upon finding nothing, they set themselves at ease. Ashley let out a sigh of relief, whilst Shepard looked over at David.

"Thanks, Steven," Shepard nodded. David tilted his head in confusion again.

"I don't understand. Why did you choose the name 'Steven'?"

"Your numerical designation is too much to remember. I took the only letters and decided on a name. It makes it easier, you know?"

David paused before nodding in understanding, "Yes, I see."

Shepard stared at him for a moment, causing him to inquire what was bothering her.

"Nothing much, just a question," She began, "When did you learn our language?"

An answer was immediately spewed out, "I have a translator built into my systems. All it took was interacting with the communications link from one of your dead, and a few hours of processing language structure before I was fluent in it."

"But those soldiers were just recently killed. How could you have had hours to process that information?" Nihlus cut in, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

David looked down in thought, "Hmm, how should I explain it…"

"Time is a perspective based concept, and it usually differs from species to species. The best way for me to put it is that I am technically faster in thought process. What is only a few seconds of time for you, is extended to hours of time for me. So I can come up with a strategic assault on a planet in what looks to you guys about two minutes, but for me, a few days have passed."

The group stared at David before Kaiden spoke, "That actually makes sense."

"It should," David looked over towards the soldier, "It is the simplest way for me to describe it to you. However, despite the fact that I would like to go into more depth, I believe our first priority is nearby."

"I agree," Ashley broke in, "It should be here just around this corner."

They all had grouped up, and David was just a little excited. It was the first time that he would have ever seen a _real_ Prothean beacon. He understood that, yes, he would be unable to directly interface with the beacon and receive its message, but the act of being able to see one was something he could never imagine in his wildest dreams.

But, his wildest dreams also didn't include him dying.

Sorrow tinged David's thoughts for a moment. He wondered what Izabelle was doing right now without him. Continuing her studies perhaps? They were both aiming for the same degree. Did she find new love? Or did she even kill herself after it all? He silently prayed that that last thought wasn't the case before he turned his focus back to the matter at hand.

As they rounded the corner, the tall device was not missed. It stood there, untouched for a time, and seemed to be activated. He was behind the group and watched Shepard bring her hand up to the side of her helmet.

 _Calling the Normandy in for evacuation._

"So, what do we do now?" Kaiden asked, turning towards the group.

Nihlus looked at him, "We keep this area secure and wait for exfiltration."

"I know that, but what do we…" David drowned out the conversation and began to walk towards the beacon. He felt a slight pinch in the back of his mind, but ignored it. In just a couple of strides, he was standing before it, looking up at the tall construct.

He knew nothing would happen, and so stretched his three-fingered hand outwards and brushed the beacon.

And was then launched into the inner grounds of his mind.

He stood there, watching so many different things happen all at once. Both lives of David Schaden played side-by-side without pause, and information was stuffed into his databanks at horrifying speed. A few things jumped out at him in particular, but one trumped all the rest.

David Schaden of this universe had been engaged to none other than Doctor Karin Chakwas.

It was a shock, and made no sense. From what David could recall, this place was supposed to be derived from something he imagined. All activities were decided by him during his previous life, so why was it turning out this way? But that wasn't it. He saw _more_.

He watched the original leave on an expedition that led to Nazara.

He watched as the original tore himself apart over the different thoughts rushing through his head.

He watched as the original gave in, and became enslaved to Reaper.

He watched the original do horrific things, experimenting and developing things. Improving them.

Truly, the David Schaden of this world had been amazing.

He watched himself grow old and dying.

He watched himself witness Nazara make him a new body.

He watched his vision go black, and felt the fear of never waking up again.

 _I know the feeling._

 _ **I know you do.**_

 _Who are you?_

 _ **It's not a matter of who, because you already know, but rather what am I?**_

 _I don't know._

 _ **W**_ _e_ _ **d**_ _o_ _ **n**_ ' _ **t**_ _k_ _ **n**_ _o_ _ **w.**_

David felt himself slipping into a void, the pinching in the back of his mind suddenly growing to a sharp stabbing sensation. He wanted to scream, but nothing was working. His vision, hearing, feeling, motor functions. Everything wasn't working.

David Schaden was suddenly shot back into the real world. He looked down at his hands and noticed they were shaking. In anger? Sadness? Fear? He did not know. But he knew that he needed to get away from the beacon.

 _ **My beacon.**_

He pushed himself away from the construct and put distance between himself and it. What was happening? What was going on? He was so confused, disoriented. What was he doing here? Where was he?

What's happening?

The question repeated itself over and over and over again, nonstop until the sound of footfalls behind him alerted him to the presence of someone else.

"This is amazing. Actual working Prothean technology! Unbelievable!" a male voice shouted in disbelief.

 _ **My beacon!**_

 _No!_

"It wasn't doing anything like that when they dug it up," a female voice stated. David kept having to resist the urge to turn around and spit venom. Why, he did not know. Where was he again? All conversation was blocked out until a low hum filled the air.

Giving up, he immediately whipped around to face the beacon and watched as the female soldier - Ashley, now he remembered! - was slowly being pulled toward it. The other one immediately noticed this, and began to run at Ashley. They immediately grabbed Ashley and pulled her away, and instead ended up being the on to be pulled violently into the air.

 _ **MY BEACON!**_

 _No! She needs to see the message!_

David felt drained at the battle raging inside of himself. He resisted the returning urge to shout in anger, to go over and throw all of them away. It was horrifying to feel like a part of you wasn't _you_ , and he couldn't express the fear he held for himself.

As the other soldier was lifted into the air, Ashley yelled out, "Shepard!"

The other one - Kaiden, now that he recalled - grabbed her around the waist, "No! Don't touch her! It's too dangerous!"

As Shepard began to lower to the ground, David felt himself struggle to keep in control. He didn't know what he was trying to stop, but just knew he needed to stop it. But strength was leaving him, and it became apparent that he lost the moment he began moving again.

Shepard was only on the ground for a moment before coming back to reality, gasping for breath. Nihlus was at her side, along with Kaiden and Ashley. They began to ask if she was alright, if she needed first aid. David stood by the beacon, staring at them all with a reddish tint to his facial light.

"I take it," he paused, the words not his own, "you saw what the beacon contained?"

Shepard looked up and stared at David, "What was that?"

"That was the final transmission from an outpost that fell victim to the extermination."

"Why the hell was that here?"

"To warn this planet, when it was inhabited over fifty-thousand years ago," David explained. He began to pace back and forth a little, his form slightly hunched over, his lights a bright red. His hand twitched noticeably as Shepard stood up, Ashley and Kaiden giving her support so she wouldn't fall over.

David twitched and began to speak, "You see, Sh-shepard. You-ou - you have interfaced with a tech-tech-technological entity that was th-the primary means of inst-instant communica-ca-cation over the galaxy. I-i-it was done over telepath-pathic connect-ection between the Pro-pro-pro-protheans, especially du-du-during the wa-wa-wa-war."

His speech was broken, the words not his own. Someone, _something_ else was saying them through him. Their pitch and tone constantly dipped and rose, and made anything it was saying incomprehensive. A moment later, he stopped pacing, staring directly at the group.

"You fiends!" he shouted suddenly, voice deeper and aggressive, "You come to this planet, and take and take and take and take! You take the very thing that does not belong to you, hoarding it all in an attempt to prove yourselves to the rest of the galaxy! I care not for whatever else you take, but one thing you will not have is _my_ beacon!"

"What are talking about?" Nihlus shouted, slowly bringing up his weapon towards him. David was still internally panicking.

What was happening?!

He suddenly regained control, but he could feel the other pushing against him. He needed to reassure them, or warn them, or _something_.

"S-stay away!" he shouted with a flanged voice, "I a-am in a-a-a deter-deteriorated s-sta-state!"

Suddenly, pain shot through his head, causing him to grab his cranium and growl loudly in anger, "It's mine! No one else's! You are not allowed to touch it!"

Nihlus was now aiming at him, trigger finger itching, "I knew there was something off about you."

David - uncontrollably - ignored it, "T-the Fermat number is n-named aft-after Pierre de Ferm-ferm-fermat, and i-i-i-is a pos-positive integer-ger-ger in the form of _Fn equals two to the power of two to the pow-power of n._ The-the first-irst few Fermat numbers are thr-thr-three, five, seventeen-teen-teen, two-hund-hundred fifty-ty-seven-"

Suddenly, a red light began to glow beneath David. He kept mumbling incoherently to himself, clutching his head and hunching over like a madman. His mind was muddled with thoughts, trying to process and categorize everything he was receiving, only to fail and reboot over and over. Time was slowing, and what was probably only moments felt like decades. It was painful, it made his synthetic nerves burn, almost as if he was being burned everywhere along his body. The light grew, illuminating beneath him before it began to raise up and coat himself and the beacon as he began reciting...something.

"- _Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"Quoth the Raven Nevermore._ "

He couldn't see anything and all sound had bled away, the only sound was that of his cluttered mind. Information from everything clashed together and repeatedly beat his mind with clubs and stones and hammers. The noise was there, and wouldn't go away. What was this? Was this rampancy? He wasn't AI, so how is that possible? Did you know that the frontal lobe is what helps with your primary motor functions? How could rampancy be something with him? Could it be an information overload, something his databanks couldn't hold? The average adult human has two-hundred and six bones in their body. What is this? He was scared.

He needed help.

"And help you, I shall, for my aid you have now called upon," a familiar voice breathed into his mind, calming everything. His vision returned, allowing David to see the light as it covered him. The bright red blinded him before the sound of wind echoing off walls filled his ears, and the ground beneath his feet disappeared. Soon, his vision cleared, and whatever held him had let go.

Everything was replaced with the feeling of falling, before everything went black.

* * *

Blood was everywhere as Jane Shepard looked out upon the open battlefield. The sky burned red and the heat of fires miles away could be felt as if they were right next to her. Screams as shrill as claws carving out a chalkboard split the air, and the distant humming sound followed behind the machines falling from the sky. The large, shrimp-like ships that came down from the heavens, bringing only death and destruction. A voice spoke endlessly in a language she didn't understand. It sounded fearful and hurt, with something akin to a cough being heard interrupting it. More of the machines descended from the sky, beams of light tearing apart the planet with each passing moment. She thought it would never end.

When it did, it was instantaneous.

She shot up from a flat position - she was unsure how she got there - and immediately brought a hand behind her for her weapon, only to be greeted with air. Jane took in her surroundings the best she could through her blurred vision, but she was unable to properly assess her location. The colors and shapes all blended together causing her to bring a hand up to rub her eyes.

The sound of footsteps evaded her, but the person who owned them spoke up soon enough, "I see you are awake Shepard."

Instinct kicked in as she jumped up from her daze and threw a hand down to her right thigh, reaching for her sidearm only to grasp at nothing. She stared blankly at the character who stood there, chuckling slightly at her expense, before she calmed down with a sigh.

It was just Anderson.

"And very jumpy as well," He commented before adorning a face of seriousness, "on a serious note, I was worried. What happened down there, Shepard?"

The woman was about to open her mouth to speak before being interrupted, "She has only just awoken Anderson, give her time."

Jane looked behind Anderson as he turned to meet the voice, already knowing who it was. Karin Chakwas stood at the end of a small table, a data-pad in her right hand as she looked at Anderson and Jane.

"I understand that, but we need this information. It's detrimental that we have a report to give the council," Anderson explained with determination.

Jane decided that she would interrupt, "I'm okay to give a report sir, it won't impede on my health."

Anderson looked to contemplate it for a moment, before sharing a glance with Chakwas. She simply smiled at him and nodded. Letting a sigh escape his lips, he then turned back to Jane Shepard, who seemed to be begging for him to let her speak.

"Fine. What do you have to report?" He stated, causing her to stand straighter and stare forward, before delving into her tale of Steven and the Geth.


End file.
